Combined street-railway rail and conduit



(No Model.)

* G. 0. BOLGIANO. COMBINED STREET RAILWAY RAIL AND CONDUIT. No. 366,811. Patented July 19, 1887.

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N. PHERS, FhclvLilhugraphsr Washington, ac.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT O. BOLGIANO, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

COMBINED STREET-RAILWAY RAIL AND CONDUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,811, dated July 19, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GILBERT O. BOLGIANO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bat timore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Street-Railway Rail and Conduit, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of a rail, a hollow stringer, and a device for fastening the rail to the said stringer, whereby to produce a conduit for electric conductors, as hereinafter described.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a cress-section of a .streetca track, showing my improvement. Fig. 2 is a top view of same, in which the rail at one side of the track is removed to show the conduit. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one rail and one conduit. Fig. 4 is a side view ofsame. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 6 is a perspective of a portion ofa rail and its detach able fastening-lug.

Cross-ties A, of any suitable kind, are used, and upon these, instead of the ordinary wood stringer, is a hollow metal stringer, B, open at the top and resembling a trough. These stringers are to be secured to the cross-ties in any suitable manner. Each of the vertical walls 0 of the hollow stringer has at its top a shoulder, (7, which together serve as a seat for the car-wheel rail E. At intervals these vertical walls have bolt holes f.

The rails E may be of any desired pattern, and have countersunk slots 1, instead of the usual spike holes. A fastening-lug has a head, 71., which seats itselfin the said countersunk slot, and from the head a shank, i, depends, and has a boltslot, f.

The rails E are placed upon the troughshapcd stringer B and serve as a top or cover. The shank i of the fastening-lug depends or hangs down into the hollow stringer, (see Fig. 3,) and a horizontal bolt, 7;, passes through the holes fin the stringer-walls, and also through the slotf in the fastening-shank. Thus the rail is secured to its position. By having an elongated slot, f, in the shank i, provision is made for variations in fit so far as relates to the position of holcsf in the stringer and the position of the countersunk slots 9 in the rail. The slotsf also provide for lengthwise expansion and contraction of the rail. It will thus be seen that below the rail E and supporting it is a receptacle or tubular stringer, which may beuscd to receive and contain electric conductors L, pneumatic tubes, and gas or steam pipes.

My invention differs from other street-conduits heretofore used in that the car-wheel rail is seated directly on the open top ofthe troughshaped stringer, whereby it serves the usual purpose of a ear-track and also as a cover for the conduit.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, in a street-car track, of a hollow or trough-shaped stringer, B, open at the top, a car-wheel rail, E, provided with a depending fastening-lug and seated directly upon the two vertical walls of said open stringer, and a bolt through the lug for securing the rails to the walls of the stringer, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a street-car track, of a hollow or trough-shaped stringer open at the top, arail for the car-wheels seated upon said stringer and provided with countersunk slots 1/, a 'l'astcning-lug seated in each of said countersunk slots and having a depending shank, '5, provided with a bolt-hole, and a bolt, L, passed through the stringer-walls and the said shank, as set forth.

The combination, in a street-car track, of, a hollow or trougleshaped stringer, B, open at the top, horizontal bolts passed through the walls of the stringer, and a car wheel rail, E, seated upon the two walls of said stringer and secured to the horizontal bolts.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GILBERT C. BOLGIANO.

\V i tncsses:

JOHN EplIORRIS, JNo. T. llIADDOX. 

